Photographic plate shield



UNITE@ STATES PATE@ HENRY BRYANT AND R. D. O. SMITH, OF IVASIIINGTON, DIS'ICIIIQ'Iy OF COLUMBIA.

PHOTOGRAPHIGPLATE SHIELD.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,158, dated November 30, 1858.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, HENRY BRYANT and R. D. O. SMITH, of lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Exposing in the Camera the Prepared Sensitive Plate for Photographic Purposes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The nature of our invention consists in providing an efficient method of ope-ning a door on the inside of the camera box.

To enable others to make and use our invention we will describe its construction and operation.

le construct the plate shield in the usual manner and apply thereto instead of the slide heretofore ordinarily7 used, a door (marked A) which must be opened on the inside of the camera, thereby greatly facilitating the operation of exposing the sensitive plate, and avoiding the usual danges on drawing out the slide. This door is operated by the bent wire (marked B) or its equivalent. This wire assumes the proper form by being bent twice vertically, and once horizontally (B Figure Q) or, so that when the central portion of the wire is placed in a groove which extends from one edge of the plate shield to the center of the saine, and under the shoulder piece which protects one edge of the door, (see Fig. I) the outer or left hand end may lie along the outer edge of the shield, t-he ring resting in a slot which retains it in its place, and

the inner or right hand end extends upward over the edge of the door and along its surface to its center where it passes through a staple .set in they door Fig. l).

In operating this device. the outer end of the wire is drawn away from the camera to clear the ring from its slot, and then moved forward. the door being drawn open by the corresponding motion of tl e inner end of the wire (Fig. 2, A). rlnlie advantages of this arrangement are, Ist, no light can enter the camera from the sides or openings in the shield, as often happens in drawing outthe slide; 2nd, less time is required and less ditlicultv is experienced in the operation, than with the slides; 8rd. the photographer is enabled to include. in landscape views the clouds and sky effects, which is impossible with any other airangementl of apparatus for by this the sky may be exposec. as shorta time as desirable while the foreground may still receive the maximum exposure.

That we claim as our invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is noty the application of the door to trie plate shield for that has been used before, but

The application of the bentl wire or its equivalent substantially, for the purpose of opening and closing the door on the inside of the camera in the manner and for the purpose. as herein described.

HENRY BRYANT. B. D. O. SMITH. TWitnesses J. D. CLARK, VESTER VixssALL. 

